BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s President‑elect Abelardo de la Espriella halted the official transition process with outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s administration on Tuesday.
Petro dismissed de la Espriella’s victory on Monday, alleging fraud without presenting any evidence.
De la Espriella, a conservative figure endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, announced on X that the transition would be suspended immediately with what he termed the “corrupt” outgoing government, set to leave office in a month. He accused Petro’s administration of attempting to “destroy Colombia” via its policies and actions.
Colombia’s formal handover process, known as “empalme,” is intended to provide the president‑elect with the information needed to govern. However, the exchange between the rival leaders has been fraught with mutual recriminations.
Finance Minister Germán Ávila, who also serves as the Petro administration’s transition coordinator, directed his team to suspend the handover. In a televised statement, he rebuked claims from de la Espriella’s transition team, declaring, “The transition is not a criminal investigation or a trial; we have nothing to hide.”
De la Espriella indicated he would provide a detailed explanation of his decision to suspend the transition and outline his next steps shortly.
A businessman and lawyer whose portfolio includes a clothing line, wine and rum brands, and a restaurant, de la Espriella received an endorsement from former U.S. President Donald Trump despite never having held elected office. He emerged victorious in Colombia’s June 21 runoff, beating progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda by a margin of one percentage point—more than 251,000 votes.
The outcome effectively delivered a rebuke to outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s administration, whose policies Cepeda had pledged to continue, notably a largely unsuccessful initiative to open dialogue with armed groups.
Following the runoff, an EU observation mission lauded the vote‑counting process for its transparency and efficiency, while the Carter Center described the results‑management system as “reliable, transparent and fully traceable.”
